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Founded in 1986, Vanguard have grow from small beginnings of a single manufacturing facility in Asia to a truly global corporation.
Initially Vanguard specialized in photo and video accessories like lens cleaning kits and cases, but have expanded and their range now includes binoculars, monoculars and spotting scopes, as well as a whole host of tripods, monopods, gun pods, shooting sticks and TV mounts. They also produce photo-video bags, tool cases, hunting cases (archery and gun cases), computer cases, and universal cases.
And whilst it is probably true to say that Vanguard are not the most widely known optical brand, they have earned a solid reputation for producing really good quality optics that combining innovative features, functionality and reliability with excellent value for money.
Vanguard are now represented all over the United States, many countries in Europe as well as China and Japan. Their main sales and administrative branches are located in Whitmore Lake, Michigan USA, Luxembourg, Europe and Tokyo, Japan.
Vanguard currently produce and make two ranges of spotting scopes aimed at the budget and intermediate price points and include scopes ideal for bird watching, travel and general wildlife observation.
Taking over from the standard Endeavor series (see below), the Endeavor HD Series is now Vanguard's most advanced series and comes in two sizes, with either 82mm or 65mm lenses, which are available in either angled (45°) or "straight-through" eyepiece designs.
Read my full review of the Vanguard Endeavor HD 82A Spotting Scope
Main Features:
Construction Highlights
All Endeavor HD spotting scopes are fully waterproof and fogproof and come with duel focus wheels for fine and coarse focussing and a magnesium chassis. All scopes in this series also come with removable zoom eyepieces (for magnification powers, see models section below).
Optical Highlights
The big improvement on the standard Endeavor scopes, is the inclusion of ED (extra-low dispersion glass ) glass elements in the lenses, which improve the image by almost completely getting rid of chromatic dispersion and thus reducing the amount of color fringing seen in the image.
As well as this, these high end scopes come with a number of quality optical highlights, including fully multi-coated optics and phase corrected Bak-4 roof prisms.
Digiscoping
Vanguard have a number of specifically designed digiscoping adaptors for use with these models.
Which Tripod
In this article, I offer some of my personal recommendations as to which
tripod I use with larger scopes like the Vanguard Endeavor ED HD 82A Scope: Best Tripod for Large Spotting Scopes
Models:
Price Range & Where to Buy
The Endeavor was up until very recently Vanguard's top of the range series of spotting scopes and consists of two sizes of scope (65mm and 82mm), which are available in both angled (45°) and "straight-thru" eyepiece configurations.
Models:
Price Range & Where to Buy
Vanguard's "budget friendly" High Plains Series consists of three sizes of scope (80mm, 60mm and 50mm), which are available in both angled (45°) and "straight-thru" eyepiece configurations.
Read my full review of the Vanguard High Plains 580 spotting scope
Main Features:
Construction Highlights
All High Plains spotting scopes are waterproof and come with lightweight as well as tough magnesium bodies.
Optical Highlights
All scopes in the High Plains series feature Bak-4 Prisms, that have been phase corrected as well as fully multi-coated optics to provide exceptional clarity and brilliance.
All models have integrated zoom eyepieces (for magnification powers, see models section below).
Extras
All High Plains 500 models come with an accessory kit that includes a hard case and a compact table top / hide tripod. The hard case has steel-reinforced corners and an interior with high-density, pre-cut foam and flexible hook-and-loop straps for the ultimate spotting scope protection. This kit also includes soft bag carry bag with shoulder strap and a cleaning kit.
Vanguard Digiscoping
Vanguard offer a range of DSLR digiscoping adaptors specifically designed for use with all their scopes including all High Plains Models.
Models:
Price Range & Where to Buy
Below are the most recent Vanguard spotting scope reviews that I have written on BSSR:
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View >> All Vanguard Spotting Scopes reviewed on The Best Spotting Scope Reviews website.
Vanguard Spotting Scopes on Amazon:
Vanguard BinocularsVanguard have a wide range of binoculars in their range in both roof and porro prism designs. From the excellent top of the range Endeavor ED binoculars that feature their extra low-dispersion, ED glass to the Vanguard Ocean and Mariner series that are specially designed for water sports, boating as well as general marine observation.
Compact binoculars are well catered for with their DA, DR, SDT and NDT Series of binoculars, with some designed for the outdoors and others ideal for viewing operas or in the theater. Like them or not, Zoom binoculars are also available in their ZF range.
Most binoculars come in black, but some models are available in camo print especially for hunting and bright yellow versions for marine use.
There are three models in this series all of which are water as well as for proof and as well as ED glass feature a whole host of high quality optical components and coatings. These include phase coated Bak-4 prisms, and fully multi-coated lens elements to produce an impressive light transmission of up to 90 percent that according to Vanguard results in a near-perfect viewing experience.
Vanguard Tripods, Heads & Car Window Clamp/MountsAs well as their binoculars, spotting scopes and camera bags, Vanguard also produce some of the best tripods in the world as well as some very innovative car window clamps or mounts as they are know in the US. Read my full reviews below: >>
USAEmail: info [at] vanguardusa.com Address: |
UKEmail: info [at] vanguardworld.co.uk Address: |
